Ryanair puts Malta on its map

Leading budget airline Ryanair announced its first routes to Malta yesterday - selling flights for the paltry price of one euro cent, excluding taxes.

Though the airline could not confirm the number of online bookings to Malta so far, a spokesman told The Times that Ryanair was expecting "heavy demand".

Ryanair decided to immediately include the three routes it will be operating to Malta - Luton, Dublin and Pisa - in its existing free seat sale in which over four million seats have been made available from October to March.

With this offer a Ryanair flight from Malta starts from about Lm40 in taxes and charges, minus the fuel surcharge which the airline also absorbs.

Ryanair will be flying to Malta International Airport daily from London Luton and three times weekly from Pisa from October 31 and from Dublin on February 9. The flights are a direct response to the government's initiative to attract low-fare airlines to the island. Malta is the 24th country of operation for the Irish airline.

An estimated 70 per cent of all its seats sell at about €10 with prices then rising to normal standard fares. Passengers are permitted a standard luggage on board with a €4.50 charge for additional luggage up to 20 kg. Ryanair's deputy chief executive, Michael Cawley said the airline was delighted to announce the new routes to Malta, which it hopes will signal the start of a long and growing relationship with the island. 

"The government has shown courage and initiative in inviting proposals from low-cost airlines and we are delighted to have succeeded with our plans for these three new routes. We believe this will reverse the decline in Maltese tourism. As an island economy with over 20 per cent of its GNP dependant on tourism, low-cost access is crucial and the Maltese government has taken the first tentative steps towards a major breakthrough in this regard.

"We have initially made available over 30,000 free seats on all these routes to kick start them. Our advice is to book early as demand for the free seats is bound to be very strong."

Ryanair plans to carry over 200,000 passengers in the first year on the three routes with over 110,000 passengers expected on the Luton route and 47,000 each from Pisa and Dublin. 

The airline expects to carry over 85,000 tourists into the country bringing in total revenue in excess of €36 million in related spend, saying this will result in the creation of 300 new jobs directly and indirectly. These passengers will save over €20 million as against the average fares charged by high fare airlines to and from the island, Ryanair said. The airline also launched a website in English for Maltese travellers.

Malta Tourism Authority chairman Sam Mifsud was delighted with the Ryanair announcement, which came after several months of discussions.

Mr Mifsud said the MTA and the Tourism Ministry will evaluate the situation shortly and probe whether more low-cost routes should be "opened".

Asked whether he believed the decision on low-cost airlines should have been taken earlier, he replied: "Better late than never."

The chairman denied claims that the introduction of major low-cost airlines will signal the exit of tour operators. On the contrary, Mr Mifsud held a meeting with the third largest UK tour operator yesterday which confirmed it was increasing its seat capacity to Malta next summer.

And what about Easyjet, the other major airline, which submitted a proposal to fly to Luton and Mulhouse-Basle?

"Easyjet are coming to speak to us next week. There is space for them as well," Mr Mifsud said about the airline which has remained conspicuously silent in the tender process.